


Lighting the Darkness

by CutiePie4173



Category: Girls (TV)
Genre: Adam is heartbroken, Alternate Universe, Dirty Talk, F/M, Fantasizing, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Good Intentions, Hand Jobs, Hannah is guilty, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Masturbation in Shower, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Questions, Roommates, Sexual Fantasy, Sharing a Bed, Simultaneous Orgasm, Slow Burn, Trapped, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 00:46:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13963692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CutiePie4173/pseuds/CutiePie4173
Summary: What if Elijah wasn't Hannah's new roommate, but a friend of a friend moves in instead? New girl Ashley has no stake in any of this drama and prefers to stay out of everything as much as possible. But when Hannah is guilty over Adam's heartbreak, Ashley offers to take care of him until he stabilizes again. What could go wrong?





	1. Reluctant Guardian Angel

Ashley waited nervously outside the apartment door, rocking on her heels. Shit, should she knock? Text? Call? In the twenty-first century, it wasn’t clear exactly how to announce yourself. Especially to a new roommate. She didn’t know the first thing about Hannah, outside of the fact that she was a writer, was kind of self-involved, and she had good taste in friends. Ashley’s cousin saw a post about Hannah looking for a roommate, and the rent was in her price range. The two had met up for coffee last week, and after about half an hour agreed to live together.

Ashley knocked on the door, her suitcases lined up neatly beside her. “Hannah? It’s me, Ashley!” Shit, was she asleep? It was about four o’clock now, maybe she wasn’t home from work? She would be shit outta luck until Hannah opened the damn door. She knew she should have gotten they key last week. What if-

Her thoughts were cut off as a familiar mousey girl bounded up the stairs. “Ashley!” she called, running up to hug her. So they were at the hugging level? Good. As they hugged, Ashley bit her lip, thinking. Hannah began to talk her ear off as she unlocked the door and took her through the kitchen and living room, opening the door to what would be Ashley’s new room.

It was nicely sized, easy enough to fit all of her things. She’d have to buy some furniture, but there had to be an Ikea or second-hand store she could buy things from. “-and then she moved out, which was kinda crazy. I’m glad she made that step on her own, but it REALLY put a wrench in my plans, you know? Anyway- You don’t have a bed.” It wasn’t a question, more an observation that distracted Hannah from her ramblings.

Ashley hadn’t been listening to a word Hannah had said. In truth, she was pretty tired from her trip. “Hm?” Ashley studied Hannah’s face a moment longer than normal, then processed her words. “Right! Bed. Right. Yeah, I’ll have to get one. You have a blow-up mattress or something I can borrow?”

Hannah frowned and sat on the arm of the couch. “No… I don’t. Well!” she paused and thought. “I think I know someone who does. Tell you what, you unpack best you can and you can sleep on my bed. And I’ll go get the air mattress.” Ashley watched Hannah’s expression. The girl’s mind seemed to go a million miles a minute, and her emotions changed very fast. Ashley couldn’t exactly relate, but was grateful for her words and nodded.

“Be back soon! You’re welcome to whatever in the fridge, we have tea and coffee in the cabinet, and we have cable. The bathroom is right down the hall. Text me if you need anything, okay?” Hannah grabbed her purse and waved a hasty goodbye as she flitted out the door.

Ashley was suddenly alone in the strange apartment. She began to unpack, making notes in her notebook of possible furniture and other things she wanted for her room. Between selling her old things and a few hundred dollars she had been gifted by her parents, she figured she’d get it feeling like home. After the closet was filled and a few pictures hung on the walls, she tucked her suitcases and duffle bags into the corner. Hannah’s bed seemed to call to her from the kitchen, but she settled on laying down on the couch with a throw blanket. She turned on the news and let the anchor’s voices send her off to sleep.

***

Ashley awoke groggily as Hannah came through the door, a box awkwardly under one arm. She flashed a smile at Ashley, who rubbed her eyes and stretched in response. As the waking girl scratched her head, she looked outside. Shit, it had to have been a few hours since she had gotten there. Where had Hannah gone?

Hannah proudly placed the box on the coffee table. “An air mattress! He wants it back eventually, but I’ll help you find a bed and a mattress soon. There are some good places not too far from here.” Ashley exhaled in relief. Thank God, Hannah hadn’t gone out and bought something.

“Thanks, Hannah!” she grinned up at her new roommate. She stood, stretching out a bit more, before inspecting the box. It was a little torn up around the corners, and the mattress inside had hardly been folded properly. The outside seemed to have some… sawdust? “Who did you borrow this from?”

Hannah seemed to freeze for a moment before beginning to make herself some tea, not looking at Ashley. “My… my ex-boyfriend. I had to check on him anyway and I knew he had one.”

Ashley went over to the table and sat down, watching Hannah. “Oh, I’m so sorry. How’d you guys break up?” Ashley felt bad asking, but this was how girls made friends, right?

Hannah stared down into the empty cup as the water began to boil in the kettle. “Uh… Well… We haven’t exactly broken up yet.” Hannah caught Ashley’s look of shock. “It’s not like that! I-He-We had a disagreement a few weeks ago after my old roommate left. He was moving way too fast, and then he jumped into the street after I told him not to, like an idiot. And he… got hit by a car. So I visit him every day because he can’t really walk or move very much. Just a broken leg, but he hit the ground kinda hard. He had an air mattress!” Hannah poured herself a cup of tea, stirring in a few spoons of sugar.

Ashley paused, taking in that story slowly. “So… Wait, why are you breaking up with him?” She quickly followed with, “I totally get why you haven’t yet, I mean, he’s so fragile right now and he needs someone to watch him, but… Why break up with him?”

Hannah shrugged and seemed to cringe down into her seat. “I’m kinda… seeing someone?”

Yikes. Ashley raised her eyebrow and put up her hands. “You know what? Live your life, girl. But… Wow, that’s heavy.” She laughed a bit and Hannah laughed back. The two began to exchange stories about old boyfriends and ex-roommates, easing into their new normal slowly, and then all at once.

***

Ashley had tried very hard to keep out of the drama, but Hannah and her friends were constantly going at it… And that double entendre wasn’t an accident. Hannah had begun dating this guy, Sandy, who was cool and kinda funny. As much as Ashley had begun to… tolerate Hannah, she couldn’t help but think Sandy was too good for her. As for the others, Shoshanna was a very sweet girl, but God hadn’t blessed her with a brain. He hadn’t blessed Ray either, the unlucky guy. She had heard tales of Marnie and Jessa, but she hadn’t met them yet. Elijah was the closest thing she had to a friend, and she hardly knew anything about him.

This group was more than odd.

Ashley stepped out of the shower to find Elijah and Marnie sitting on the couch, watching a video. Neither looked happy. Ashley held the towel close to herself and crept closer. “What are you guys watching?” It seemed to be some dark-haired guy playing guitar. Badly. And he looked as if he had been dragged through hell a few times.

Hannah sighed and didn’t look up from the screen. “That’s… Adam.” Ah yes, Adam. The ex-boyfriend. He looked different than Ashley had imagined, and… better looking than whoever she believed Hannah would date. Hannah was alright, but he was clearly out of her league.

This guy was fucked up, however. “Holy shit, is this about your break up? Girl… He needs therapy or… something.” She shook her head slowly in disbelief.

Hannah shut the laptop and stood up, beginning to pace. “I know! He’s… so fucked up. What am I going to do? He’s hurt-”

“And crazy!” Elijah interjected, still sitting.

“He is not crazy! Just a little… This is probably his meds or something, right? I’ve never seen him like this!” She stopped pacing and looked on the verge of tears as she looked at Ashley. “I just don’t want him… I want him to be okay. I haven’t seen him in a week and I don’t know if he’s eating or sleeping or if his leg is getting better…” She sniffed and covered her face with her hands.

Ashley came forward and hugged Hannah, forgetting that she was basically naked save for the towel. She petted her hair and rested her head on Hannah’s, given how small she was. After she held her for a minute, Ashley sighed. “Okay, tell you what. If you get any more weird messages or anything, I’ll go over and check on him.”

Hannah choked back a sob and looked up. “R-really?”

Elijah cocked his eyebrow. “You sure you can do that?”

Ashley shrugged. “I’m an elementary school teacher. I get out at like, three. I’ll go over and make sure he’s eating and sleeping and taking his meds, and after a week or two, I’m sure he’ll be fine. You’re probably right, it’s just his meds. I know how to handle people like him, it’s no problem.”

Hannah wiped her eyes and smiled, hugging Ashley tight around her waist. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! This will SO ease my conscience. Thank you!” Ashley caught Elijah’s disapproving look, and she shrugged. How bad could this go?


	2. In the Dark of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam wakes Ashley when he breaks into the apartment to scare Hannah. When Ashley stands up for Hannah and saves Adam, she demands an explanation.

Ashley started from her deep sleep to the sound of someone yelling in her kitchen. It was nearly three in the morning… Who the fuck was screaming? Sounded like Hannah and… a guy? Who the fuck did she have over this late at night?

She growled to herself and flung the covers off, wincing at the cold. Wearing only a pair of socks and a long shirt, she slowly and groggily peeked out of her room. Hannah was arguing with some guy… Wait, no, that’s  _ the guy _ . The exhaustion seemed to disappear as she watched them a while. When the got a bit too close for comfort, Ashley stepped out.

“What the fuck is going on?” The pair froze and looked at her, and then each other. “Seriously, did y’all forget I live here?”

Adam quickly wrapped his arm around Hannah, keeping his face stony and unreadable. “Yes, we’re fine. We didn’t mean to wake you.” His voice was cold, even-tempered, and each syllable came out crisp and clear despite the raspiness. It surprised Ashley, but she didn’t react.

Hannah shoved away from him and ran to Ashley’s side, grasping her arm. “It is NOT fine, Ashley. He’s not supposed to be here, and he’s running in with this milk and honey, weirdo… PSYCHOPATH routine.” Hannah paused before looking Ashley in the eye, tears threatening to fall again. She whispered quietly, trying to make Adam unable to hear. “I’m terrified, Ash.”

Ashley inhaled deeply and sighed. She slowly took in the situation and sized Adam up. He wasn’t that big of a guy, but he was bigger and stronger than Hannah. His leg was clearly still in pain, even without a cast, and he didn’t look that steady. And she was right, he wasn’t supposed to be there. She straightened up, trying to make herself look bigger and confident. “Hannah, go to your room and stay there until I say so. Now.”

Hannah looked confused but rushed into her room, the door slamming behind her. Adam made a move to go to the door, but Ashley blocked him. “Move,” he growled, getting within inches of her.

“Not a chance,” she spat back. “Hannah may not be brave enough to take you on, but I am.” She stood her ground firm, even if she stood a half foot shorter than him. “So here’s what you’re gonna do: You’re gonna give me your key to  _ my _ apartment, and I’m driving you home. And then, we’re gonna talk about this. Got it?”

He laughed, throwing his head back. “Oh, yeah? That’s pretty brave, kid, but what the fuck are you gonna do about it?”

Her mouth hardened into a sneer and stood on her toes to get closer to his face. “I’m gonna call the cops on you, you fucking sociopath. This is breaking and entering, even if you had a key. You’ll get arrested for trespassing, assault, and domestic abuse.”

He stepped back in shock. “Assault? D-domestic abuse? What are you talking about?”

She smirked and feigned an innocent look. “Oh, officer! He came in, screamed at his ex-girlfriend and hurt me when I tried to defend her! Arrest him!” She regained the confident look she had before. “So, we gonna do this the right way? I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Adam realized he had been backed into a corner. He growled again and shoved his hand into his pocket, handing her the key. He was acting like an angsty teenager who didn’t get his way. Ashley took it and held up a finger to him.

She slowly opened the door to Hannah’s room. The smaller girl was hiding beneath the blankets as if it were the boogeyman terrorizing her, and not her ex-boyfriend. Ashley slowly approached her bed, keeping an eye on Adam whose gaze was locked on the blanket.

“Hannah?” Ashley said gently. She got a small muffled response. “Hannah, I’m going to put the spare key on your bedside table. Do you have a key to Adam’s place?” 

She waited a moment before hearing a small voice. “Purse. It’s the square one.”

Ashley nodded and grabbed the purse on the edge of the bed, digging through it and taking the key off the keyring. “Okay, Hannah. I’m going to take Adam home now. You gonna be okay?” She waited for an affirmative noise before softly patting the blanket. “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning. Get some sleep.”

She rose and shut the door behind her, stealing a pair of Hannah’s sweatpants off the floor as she left. Fuck, she had no shoes, but who cared? She handed Adam the key to his apartment, and lead him out the door, hearing him struggle to hop back down the stairs behind her.

As they walked out the front door, Ashley spotted two police officers walking in. They eyed the mismatched pair suspiciously but after Ashley nodded at them and held the door open, they walked past without a word. After the door closed, she grabbed Adam’s arm and slung it over her shoulder, helping him walk faster.

He almost shook her off but felt her grip tighten. “What the fuck? Get off of me!”

She glared daggers at him. “We have to fucking move. I don’t think I’m the only one you two woke up.” She paused their walking to get close again. “They’re gonna arrest you, you fucking idiot!” He seemed to understand and grabbed onto her, going twice as fast as he could before, eventually climbing into the passenger side of her silver Toyota Corolla.

He panted a bit as she started the car and began to drive. After a few moments of silence, she shoved her phone into his lap. “Address. Type it in.” He fumbled for a moment before typing it in, hearing the GPS confirm the address. She exhaled as she followed the directions, letting the silence creep into the car.

After a few minutes, she looked at him. “Okay, so what the fuck, man? You want to run me through what happened in there?”

He looked back at her from his position against the window. “Why do you care?”

She sighed. “Because Hannah cares about you, dude. She told me. If you’re important to her, then I’m not gonna let you fuck it up. If you want her to like you, you can’t be doing this shit. She’s sensitive. So what did you say? I can’t try and help you if you don’t tell me what happened.”

He was quiet for a moment, then smiled amusedly. “I… I asked for a glass of milk.”

Ashley searched for the joke in his tone but found none. She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face as she tried to suppress her laughter. “Wait. You fucking broke into our house, scared the shit out of her, and pulled some Clockwork Orange bullshit? Are you actually psychotic?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Holy shit, maybe I am crazy.” The two couldn’t help their laughter over the ridiculousness of the situation. After a few minutes, Ashley wiped her eyes and pulled up to his apartment, parking a block away.

“Okay, I’m gonna walk you upstairs, and we’re gonna talk about this. Because… dude, you can’t do that,” she explained, getting out of the car and helping him get to his feet.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, beginning the hike up to his apartment. “I’m glad you got the Clockwork Orange reference. Hannah never gets shit like that.”

Ashley smirked at him. “That’s probably why she didn’t know you were crazy until now.”

The two hobbled up to his apartment and he unlocked the door, rushing inside and sitting on the couch. She closed the door behind them and took a moment to look over his apartment.

Clearly, this was a single guy’s apartment. Drab colors, not a lot of natural light, stacks of things all over the place: Books in the corner, dishes in the sink, papers on the desk. It was messy, disorganized, and hadn’t seen a deep clean since before he moved in. It smelled like a guy too, which wasn’t a terrible thing, but a giveaway nonetheless. She moved to sit next to him on the couch as he massaged his aching leg.

“Okay. Go.” She crossed her legs and looked at him intently. “Tell me the story. From the beginning.”

He furrowed his eyebrows and turned away from her. “No way. I don’t even know you. Why would I tell you about me and Hannah?”

Ashley sighed again and cleared her throat. He looked at her, and she hadn’t moved an inch. “Because I’m not leaving until you tell me. Also… I want to help you.”

He finally turned to her, scratching at his beard. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” His volume was rising with every word he spoke.

“Because!” she yelled back, before calming herself. “Because,” she started again, “Even though you seem batshit crazy, I think Hannah likes you for a reason. So I’m going to help you get her trust back, but I can’t do that if I don’t get you. So… Tell me how you met her. And what’s happened since. And what happened in my apartment. Go.”

Adam ran his hand over his tired eyes and laid his head on the back of the couch. “Okay, so me and her met at this party…”


	3. We All Have Shadowy Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashley and Adam have become close friends while he heals from his breakup, and Adam offers to repay the favor after finding out Ashley's dark secret.

Ashley popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth, eyes fixated on the screen. Damn, she loved movies more than life itself. The popcorn bowl was balanced on Adam’s slowly healing leg, the only movement between them the occasional dip of a hand in the popcorn bowl.  _ The Count of Monte Cristo _ had been on Ashley’s list of movies to watch for years now. The sound of Adam’s cell phone ringing broke them from their trance. He quickly paused the DVD.

“One sec, Ash.” He brought his phone to his ear. “Hey, bitch! Yeah, I bet you missed your little brother, what you up to?”

Ashley pulled her attention to the pile of clean dishes by the sink. She had kept her promise to Hannah: She was visiting Adam every night after school ended. They’d chat a bit about their days, make dinner, watch a movie, and she’d go home. He had been slowly weaning off his medication, working out again, and generally looking healthier. He admitted that he didn’t have many close friends since he moved to the city, and he considered himself a lone wolf. Ashley admitted that he was her closest friend, as she hated feeling like a third wheel when Hannah’s friends were over.

Recently, Adam had gotten a part in a new play, which he found cathartic after all the emotions after breaking up with Hannah. Ash helped him run lines on some nights, and in return, he let her grade papers during some of their movie nights. The two had been quiet that night, however, but it didn’t feel awkward or strained.

As he hung up the phone, he sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Fucking sister.”

Ashley raised her eyebrow. “What’s up? You okay?” She turned towards him, one leg folded under her.

He exhaled. “Yeah… She was asking about my…  _ meetings _ and shit. I hate it when she pries. Fucking cunt.”

She narrowed her eyes a bit. “Meetings?”

He looked at her, mouth open slightly, eyes shifting out of confusion. “Wait, I haven’t… We haven’t talked about that yet?”

She slowly shook her head and smiled nervously. “Nope…”

He cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to her, mindful of his aching leg. “Well… I used to be an Alcoholic. I was seventeen and I quit. Now… I go to AA every few months. I don’t need it. I’m not craving the bottle or whatever bullshit. I just... It keeps me grounded.”

Ash blinked. He’d never been so open before, and so eloquent. It almost sounded rehearsed, like he thought they would have this talk. Maybe that’s why he was surprised - he had had this conversation in his head already.

She shrugged and look away a bit. “Hey… You’re not alone. We all have shadowy shit, man. I’m glad you’re being responsible though.”

He cocked his eyebrow. “What’s your shit?” He laughed at her surprised response. “Come on. Everyone has baggage. Hannah was bullied, I was an alcoholic, so what’s your shit?” He smiled at her, almost mocking her. She could tell that he didn’t think she had anything.

She kept looking down at the floor, and her face fell. “My ex-boyfriend was abusive.”

The words hung in the air. Adam sat up a little. “Fuck… Fuck, that’s heavy.” He reached out to touch her comfortingly, but she was already standing.

She grabbed the empty popcorn bowl and went to the kitchen, finding another bag and putting it in the microwave. “Yeah, didn’t you wonder why I needed a roommate like Hannah?” she asked, trying to play sarcastic and coy.

“Can I ask… What happened?” Adam stood up, testing his bad leg as he watched her.

She smiled, letting out a small exasperated laugh. “You know, somewhere between his hand around my throat and him scaring away all my friends, I fell out of love with him I guess!” She couldn’t hide that her hands were shaking as he checked on the popcorn and restarted the microwave.

Adam slowly walked towards her, unsure. She was trembling now, swallowing the lump in her throat. It hadn’t been more than a month since she had moved out, grabbing only her clothes and a few personal things when she ran away. She had left while he was at work, and she had blocked him on all social media and his phone number. His image was still burned into her mind as the microwave dinged. She opened the door and slammed her fist on the counter. It was burned. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Adam-”

She turned, tears welling up. Adam grabbed her and held her close to him, letting her cry into his shirt. “You haven’t told anyone, have you?” She shook her head violently and he crushed her against him. His eyes focused on the open microwave. Her ex would have yelled at her for that, made fun of her. She was terrified, he could feel her heaving breaths as she sobbed. Adam hardened. He had learned one thing in this world: You don’t beat on people who trust you.

She sobbed for a few minutes, Adam stroking her hair slowly and keeping his arms rigid and solid around her. He wanted her to feel safe and protected from the invisible monster in her head. He suppressed a smile as he felt her arms curl around him, hugging him back. It was rare for him to be hugged so innocently, without an ulterior motive.

She was slowly coming down from her tears, she hiccoughed and pressed her face into his chest. He had never hugged her before. It felt nice to have someone hug her. It had been a long time since she had been comforted by anyone. She breathed deeply, trying to calm down even more. As she pulled away and wiped at her eyes, Adam kept his hands on her shoulders, watching her expression.

“D-do you want to stay here?” he asked. She looked up at him, confused. “I mean, you should stay here. You seem like you want to talk about it, and I want you to talk about it, and it’s getting late, but it’s Friday so… Do you want to stay here?”

Her eyes softened as she smiled. She loved it when he rambled like that. “Yeah. Can I sleep on your couch?”

He shook his head but smiled. “No, no. I’ll take the couch. Sleep in my bed.” What was with New Yorkers and letting people sleep in their beds?

She eyed the bedroom from where she was standing. She didn’t like being in places alone, especially ones that didn’t smell like home or have anything familiar. “Or… We could share it. I’ll borrow a t-shirt and we could talk in there?”

Adam suppressed the thoughts that entered his mind. He hadn’t had a girl in his bed since he and Hannah broke up. Ashley was pretty cute, and he’d be lying if he had he’d never thought about her that way. She was just small enough to rest his head on top of hers, and she smelled good, and she was curvy in just the right way. He wouldn’t mind waking up next to her… He loved Hannah, but this shit was getting ridiculous.

He nodded and went back to the living room to click off the television and the light. In the darkness, he guided Ashley to his bedroom, a hand on the small of her back. She felt a pang of excitement in her stomach. No matter how she sliced it, an attractive guy was leading her to his bedroom. He flipped the light switch and made a gesture with his hand.

“My humble castle, my lady.” She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him as he walked past. She sat on the bed and watched him dig through his drawers, pulling out what looked like two things of PJs. He tossed her a tan t-shirt with green plaid bottoms. “There, change.” She began to get up, but he stopped her. “Here, I’ll… I won’t watch.” He turned to face the window, tapping his fingers on the wall in feign impatience.

She watched him turn and began to quickly strip. She took off her skinny jeans first, reveling in how comfortable his pajama pants were. Unhooking her bra and slipping off her shirt, she was inadvertently turned away from Adam as she slid his t-shirt on. When she turned back to tell him she was decent, he was already staring at her, grinning.

She threw her clothes at him. “You peeping Tom!” She took his pillow and smacked him with it, him holding up his hands in defense as she stood to get a better angle.

“I’m sorry!” She whacked him with the pillow. “I didn’t see anything!” She whacked him again. “Hey, if I’m gonna have a girl in my room, I should get something!” She shoved him onto the bed and continued to hit him. Finally, he put his hands up in surrender. “Truce! Truce! I swear I saw nothing but your back!”

She relented, letting him get up. He chuckled, stripping off his own shirt. “You’re pretty feisty, you know that?” She made a face at him before turning away as he slipped his pants off. He paused, standing only in his boxers. “What? Unlike you, I’m not embarrassed by anything.”

She blushed, waving her hand in his direction. “I’m not embarrassed! Just… Put some pants on!” She heard him laugh and the shuffling of clothes.

“I’m decent, alright? Now, can I get into my own bed?” He cocked an eyebrow. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, but she didn’t fight him and moved over to make space for him. He reached to flick the light off before pulling the blankets up around both of them.

They awkwardly laid next to each other, not saying anything for a moment. He rested his hands behind his head and she turned to face him. He looked at her, his eyes still adjusting to the darkness.

“Thanks, Adam. It means a lot that you want to talk to me. Hannah is nice, but she hasn’t had any interest in my life at all since I moved in. It’s nice to have… a friend.” The word felt foreign coming from her lips, and she wasn’t sure she liked it to describe how she felt about Adam, but it’s what she needed.

“...Listen, I’m not the lovey-dovey type, alright? But… Can you move over here so I can wrap my arm around you? This is just awkward and if we’re gonna talk, I’d rather be closer to you,” he offered, unfolding one arm from behind his head and extending it to her. She blushed, thankful he couldn’t see it in the darkness, but moved over to lay her head on his upper arm and rest her hand on his chest. His arm wrapped around her and he cleared his throat. “Okay, tell me all about this douchebag and why I need to kill him.” He held her close at those words, protecting her still.

She smiled into his chest. “I met him in college…


	4. Candlelight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snowstorm keeps Adam and Ashley trapped together. What's really been brewing between them these past few weeks?

The snow was falling hard outside the window of Adam's apartment. The weatherman had promised two inches tops. Adam was staring at the six inches that had fallen in the last five hours. That meant Ash was staying the night again. She had stayed over twice since that first night, and they were usually fine. The last time had Adam worried though.

After talking about his latest failed date with another blind set up, the two had curled up in bed. It had become two in the morning much faster than either had realized, and he didn't want her driving with her eyes only half open. She had changed into just a t-shirt and him just some sweatpants. The nervousness about being less clothed was mostly gone after that first night. They had cuddled a while, whispering quietly as sleep slowly closed in on them. It was nice to have her so close, to feel her warm face on his chest. Whenever she stayed over, he had begun to feel warm and happy. It wasn't how he had felt with Hannah, who he was constantly trying to read. It was so easy to upset Hannah, unlike Ashley. He appreciated how honest and open she was with him, and the genuine interest she had in his life. She had been the one encouraging him to go on dates and let Hannah go, as she was having life issues at the moment.

No, the problem began in the morning. She had brought her leg up to rest on his, unknowingly brushing against his cock. His cock that was already swollen from morning wood. He woke up earlier than her and reveled in the gentle pressure of her thigh against his dick before coming to his senses. Fuck, she couldn't see him like this. She wasn't Hannah or one of his other fuck buddies. She was Ashley! Adam had never been one to hide his... pride from others, but he was terrified of losing her trust. She had told him that she hadn't even kissed anyone since she ran away from her abusive boyfriend. She definitely wouldn't feel good waking up next to his erect cock. He had slowly slipped out from under her, muttering an excuse to go to the bathroom. He had stroked himself off in the shower, unable to keep away the images of Ashley's mouth around him.

Now, with the weather so bad she couldn't leave, Adam had to resolve himself to either make a move on her or completely shut down his libido. He really did care about her, and he wanted her badly, but he wasn't sure of a romantic relationship. Was either of them ready for that? He shook the thought from his head. No, no, no. He'd wait for her to make a move before going any farther. He had his cuddles and the occasional hug. That was good enough.

Adam watched as Ash lit a few more candles on the kitchen counter before carefully draining the pasta for their dinner. "Thank God you have a gas stove, hm?" She flashed him a grin as she plated the bowtie pasta with tomato sauce and brought it over to the couch. He joined her and grabbed a plate from her.

"Thank you for making dinner. I'm not that great in the kitchen." He took a bite and smiled. She was a good cook, especially considering she had to open the fridge exactly once to keep the cold air in and had to light the burners manually. The power had gone out two hours ago, but thanks to Adam's slight packrat habit, he had about a dozen candles in his bathroom. She had lit them carefully around his apartment. She looked damn good in candlelight, he had to admit. The two began to eat, thankful for a hot meal considering the freezing weather outside.

"So I guess no movie tonight?" she asked sadly, her mouth full of pasta. He shrugged back, clearly not happy about breaking their tradition. He had no play to rehearse, and she had had a snow day thanks to the blizzard. Neither of them had anything to do to entertain the other.

After a few moments of silence, she brightened. "Okay, how about we play twenty questions?"

He snickered between bites. "That stupid kid's game?"

She batted his leg playfully. "No, no! See, when I was a teenager, we played a game called twenty questions. We would ask each other any question we wanted, and we had to be honest with our answers. We go back and forth until we come up with something better or we run out of questions," she explained, smiling wickedly.

He thought a minute before narrowing his eyes. "Any questions?"

She nodded. "Yup. And nothing leaves this room."

He nodded and considered his first question over a bite of pasta. "Okay, me first. How many guys have you slept with?"

She rolled her eyes. "Three, which I think is fairly good for someone as cute as I am," she said sarcastically before pausing in thought. "Okay, who was your first crush?"

"Lily Martin, first grade. I gave her a flower and she ran away from me. She transferred schools after her parents caught her smoking pot behind the gym in eighth grade." She giggled at his story. "Have you ever done drugs?"

She shook her head. "No... I've always wanted to do LSD or something, but I'm always scared it'll be laced with something else." He nodded in understanding. She was right - getting pure drugs in the city was actually harder than it seemed. "Best place to give or receive a hickey?"

He smiled at the surprisingly dirty question. "Giving? On the ass. Receiving... Chest or inner thigh."

"On the ass?"

"I've been told it feels good, and it's the closest thing to branding that girls are into. And it's cute when girls don't expect it," he teased, winking at her. She made a face but egged him on. "Are you dominant or submissive in bed?" This was risky, but he was genuinely curious.

She blushed a little but kept eye contact. "I'm a switch, actually. I dabble in both, depending on my mood."

"Really? Me too!" He was surprised at her answer but welcomed it. The images of her kneeling at his feet but also collaring him clashed in his mind. He shoved them away after a moment. If he were to be honest with himself, he couldn't quite get a clear image of what she'd be like in bed.

She smiled back at him. "Okay, sexual fantasy."

He shook his head. "Too many to choose from."

She moved closer, putting her empty bowl on the ground. "Come on, pick one. What would you want tonight if you could have it?"

He followed suit, eyes fixed on her as he tried to decide what to say. "I think... I'd be dominant. A little slave girl to do as I say, when I say it. Just the right amount of brat to egg me on. Something like that. I'm not feeling too complicated tonight. What about you?" The image was nicely planted in his mind, imagining a faceless piece of ass begging for him. He tried to block it out just enough to keep himself from getting ahead of himself.

She nodded, listening intently. "Actually, that sounds nice. I like it when a guy tells me what to do. So many guys fucking suck as dominants in bed, you know? I need a guy who's unafraid to show emotion in bed. A guy who will open his mouth and say what he wants, you know?" Her voice grew more excited with every sentence. He grinned and laughed as she spoke. She was completely right about people their age: All of them talked the talk, but none of them walked the walk. "I hate it when there's no talking or teasing. Like, if you're talking too much, I will fucking tell you!" They laughed for a minute or two before it got quiet again.

"What's your ideal first kiss scenario?" she asked, leaning her head on the back of the couch.

Adam bit his tongue, deciding how cheeky to be. He couldn't hold back a grin as he decided. "Trapped in the same room, unable to leave, the mood surprisingly romantic, after spending a good chunk of the night exchanging double entendres and teasing questions." She blushed brightly and moved forward to shove him, but he wrapped his arms around her and she laughed into his shoulder. "See? It's going so well!"

She straightened up a bit, not shifting out of his arms. "You really want to kiss me?"

He didn't answer her, instead simply pressing his lips against hers. His pervasive smile made it difficult to kiss her at first, but it calmed and he held her incredibly close as his mouth moved against hers. Her lips were small and soft next to his larger ones, and, although at first, she seemed nervous, she quickly relaxed and kissed him back enthusiastically. After a few moments that felt like hours, he let them both come up for air. She moved her head to nuzzle his cheek and his arms relaxed around her, resting on her hips.

Her breathing was shaky, but she held onto him tightly. He caressed the small of her back, kissing her forehead firmly. She looked up at him and smiled, placing a hand on either side of his face. He was so cute when he grinned at her like that. She kissed him again, slowly and deliberately. His hands gripped her hips as her hands slid down to his neck. Adam let a hand grab her ass as his tongue slipped past her lips, holding her tightly. She let out a soft moan in response and he slowly pressed her to lay down on the couch. His mind had completely let go of his fears. Her kiss was so distracting and tantalizing, too much so for him to stop himself.

His lips left hers and drifted downwards, leaving wet kisses along her neck, giving her soft bites as his hands groped her ass. She was enthusiastic, tilting her head back to give him better access. She was so fucking hot... And she wanted him! That amazed Adam beyond belief. He kissed lower, licking along the edge of her v-neck, causing her to gasp and grip his shoulder.

He stopped and looked up at her. She was panting, her lips parted still. She looked... unsure. "Adam... I... I don't know about all this..."

He stopped and moved back up to her level, shifting a bit. "W-w-why? What's making you uncomfortable? Don't you like this?" His mind was racing, causing him to stutter. She had gotten him riled up, his adrenaline high already.

She looked down for a moment and swallowed. "I just... I don't want this to change our friendship, is all. I don't want this to become only about sex."

His energy dropped slightly and he cupped her jaw in his hand. "Ashley... That's not going to happen. I'm not going to give up movie night or having dinner or reading lines with you just to have sex, I promise. It'll just be... when you stay over. When we both feel like it. I don't know. But it won't be the whole thing, I promise." He paused and traced over her lip with his thumb. "I... I really want to try this with you."

Her eyes locked on his. "I'm not ready for a boyfriend."

He cocked his head a bit. "Wh- No, no, me neither! I don't want a relationship right now, just... Just this." He emphasized his last word by bringing her hips to meet his own, his forehead touching hers. "I still want to be friends, just like before. Just... more."

She paused and considered his words a moment. Her eyes were closed and her hand lingered on his jawline. The pose felt intimate. They were touching in so many places - their foreheads pressed together, legs intertwined, hands on each other's faces. It felt as if energy were flowing between them. She smiled under his hand and kissed his lips softly.

"Okay. Let's do this."

He grinned and kissed her deeply before picking her up in his arms and rushing to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut in the next chapter, guys! Didn't want to make this one too long.


	5. Light My Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Adam and Ashley take the next step.

Ashley's back hit the sheets with a soft thud, the smile on her face wide and evident as Adam climbed onto the bed, kneeling above her. "Damn, I'm so happy you're here," he muttered, pressing a kiss to her neck and trying not to grin too widely. He was clearly enjoying this, judging by the soft hums he let out as he groped her thighs.

She sat up and he kneeled in front of her, his fingers laced in her hair as he kissed her. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue moved so nicely against her own. She tugged at his shirt, slowly edging it off of him until he grew impatient, tearing the shirt over his head and throwing it to the floor. She sat back a moment, taking in his form. Damn, he was sculpted as all hell. Between his abs and his pecs and his arms, Ashley didn't know where to look. He was just... big.

He watched her admire him, running his tongue over his teeth, unable to hide his proud grin. "Like what you see, hm?" He grabbed her wrists and pulled her up to her knees, grabbing her ass and holding her close. She felt his hard cock against her thigh. Suddenly, Adam's teeth were on her lower lip, pulling hard. It hurt... But she moaned anyway.

She felt his hands begin to lift her shirt, slipping it off of her and throwing it to fall on the floor next to his own. His hands dipped and cupped her breasts; the satin and cotton of her bra were soft like the rest of her skin. Her waist was taught and pretty, just a hint of abs showing through. He nudged her to lie back, his lips tracing a path from her lips to her jaw, to her neck, to the tops of her breasts and down her stomach. He was taking his time. Adam had mentioned that he was "impatient" in bed. Not this time. His kisses were wet and purposeful, even leaving small bites as he undid her pants. She lifted her ass to help him get them off, unable to deny the warmth starting to spread between her thighs. She felt so hot... And his skin was so cool...

He sat at her feet for a moment, admiring her smooth, soft skin. She was beautiful. Damn beautiful. He lifted her leg and kissed her ankle, slowly but surely moving upwards. Ashley arched her back from the sensation of his tongue on her inner thigh. "Fuck... Adam..." He smirked as he moved higher. He connected eyes with her as he softly licked the growing wet spot on her panties.

She nearly jumped at the feeling of his tongue, inhaling sharply. He laughed darkly, using both hands to slip her panties off. She distracted herself from the growing knot of anticipation by discarding her bra as well, settling back to watch him. He once again settled between her legs, lifting one of them to rest on his shoulder. He caught her watchful eye and smirked. "Oh, you like to watch, hm?" She blushed and looked away, but he dug his fingernails into her thigh. She snapped her eyes back to his. "Don't you dare fucking take them off of me." She felt herself get hotter at his words. He locked eyes with her as he slowly licked her, from her entrance to her clit. She mewled, feeling herself begin to lose control. He was making a show out of eating her out, and he'd draw this out.

He continued to look at her once in a while but preferred to focus on his work. He slowly licked her folds, not touching her clit at first. He slowly drew circles around her sex with his tongue, massaging her. After teasing her, he gently prodded her clit before licking it with the flat of his tongue. He felt her shudder beneath his influence, hearing a breathy moan escape her lips. He continued his onslaught on her clit, becoming rougher. He made a move to pull away, but not before grazing his teeth on her clit. She brought her fist to her mouth, biting down on her knuckles. "So you like a little pain?"

He was suddenly above her, face inches from her own. He placed two fingers on her lips. She watched him, his eyes staring hard with lust and control. "Suck," he ordered, pressing his fingers against her mouth. She hesitated, but obeyed, licking his fingers and sucking on them. She looked up at him, his eyes locked onto her mouth. She made sure to get them soaking wet before he pulled them away. His fingers found her slit immediately, and after a moment to massage her folds with his fingers, his slipped both of them inside.

She moaned at the feeling of his fingers. She hadn't even touched herself since her breakup. The feeling of her lips parting and being so expertly spread by his fingers was delicious. She grasped onto his shoulders, eyes locked on his as he began to pump his fingers. She cried out, burying her face in his neck. He gradually went faster, angling his fingers just right. She straightened and bit back a scream, instead moaning loudly at his discovery of her g-spot. "Yeah, you like that? My Ashley, my darling... my little slut." She arched her back at his words before finding his lips with her own. He fingered her throbbing pussy relentlessly until he suddenly pulled away. She whined in protest, grabbing him and rocking her hips forward.

He smirked at her and licked his fingers slowly, moaning at her taste. She watched, mouth slightly open and eyes begging for more. He laughed at her expression, kissing her nose before sitting up to take his jeans and boxers off, laying back down beside her. She blushed again at the situation: She and Adam were lying naked beside each other, with his hand on her cheek. He seemed so much bigger than her at that moment. He pulled her closer by her hips, his mouth meeting hers in a sloppy kiss, his lips turned up in a smile against hers.

Fuck, she should make a move. After a moment of hesitation, Ashley slipped her hand between his legs, lightly gripping his cock. He groaned into her mouth before pulling his lips from hers. She slowly, experimentally stroked him, feeling his fingertips press into his hips. "Fuck... Mmmhmm... Agh..." Her strokes became more defined, her hand wrapping around him and stroking upward. He hummed, unable to hide the smirk. "Fuck, you like my cock?"

She licked the side of his neck, making him hiss as his inhaled. "Yes, sir, I do. You like my hand?" she purred. Her grip became tighter and she stroked faster, earning his muffled moans as a reward. She stopped, only to trace her thumb around the head of his cock, getting it wet. He gasped and dove for her neck, biting and sucking at her flesh. "Oh, you like that?" He muffled an affirmative. "You're pretty sensitive..." she purred, teasing him.

She let go of his cock, making him straighten up to look at her. "Hey, why did you-" He stopped his complaint as he watched her slowly, teasingly lick her palm, getting it wet with her saliva. "Oh. Fuck, yes." She grinned and kissed him as she went back to stroking his cock with her soaked palm. He groaned into her mouth, bucking his hips against her hand. Suddenly, he tensed up and pulled his body away from her.

She watched, frozen in confusion, as he grabbed her hips playfully and laid her on her back. He kneeled between her legs, a hand on either side of her head. He kissed a trail of wet kisses between her breasts to her neck, marking the end of the trail with a bite to her ear. "If I'm going to cum," he growled, pressing more kisses to her jaw. "I'm cumming inside you. I want you to feel my cock twitch." She blushed and ground her hips against him at his words, tangling a hand in his hair.

He kissed her hard once before pulling away, his eyes darting between his cock and her eyes. Her toes curled as he slowly slipped the head of his cock between her folds, making it slick. Her pussy was so warm and his cock was so hard and smooth. His eyes locked on hers as he slowly pressed into her. She gasped, clawing at his back, and he groaned deep in his throat. "Fuck, babe... You're so tight... Fuckkkk..." She shuddered as he slowly but relentlessly slipped his cock into her, inch by inch. She mewled again and scrunched her eyes shut. The pleasure was almost too much to handle.

He stopped eventually, his cock fully sheathed in her. He pulled her in to kiss her deeply, feeling her start to relax around his length. "Babe, you okay?" She cracked one eye open and took a breath, wrapping her arms and legs around him. She nodded and he pressed another kiss to her lips. "Fuck, Ashley... You feel so good..." He started to rock his hips against her, thrusting shallowly at first, watching her reactions. She was falling apart at the seams, clawing his back and moaning his name.

"Fuck... Adam... More..." She managed, unable to form a sentence more complicated than that. His cock was stretching her deliciously and he fucking knew it. He smirked, continuing his shallow thrusts as he watched her tortured expression.

"Oh, you want more, my little slut?" He nearly pulled out of her before thrusting his length back in, relishing in the pain of her nails on his flesh. "You like this cock? Tell me you like it, slut." He repeated his actions, thrusting deeper but keeping his pace slow.

"Fuck! Fuck, Adam, I... I love your fucking cock! Fuck... Adam, fuck me, please!" she begged. He laughed darkly, thrusting harder into her, picking up speed. She pulled him down to kiss her, her hips bucking wildly in response to him. He kept his pace, smirking against her lips at her obvious need.

Ashley suddenly gripped the sheets, tensing up. "A-Adam... I... Fuck... C-close..." The knot in her stomach was wound incredibly tightly, her legs locked around his waist. Every movement he made brought her closer and closer to the edge, and she could almost taste the peak.

He pulled her close and laced his hand in her hair, tugging slightly. His mouth was an inch from her own, his forehead against hers. "Fuck... Cum with me... Fuck, Ash..." He thrusts became erratic and staccato as he panted harder. She held him tightly while biting back a scream as her orgasm ripped through her. He groaned her name as he released inside of her, ropes of his cum coating her insides. The feeling of his cock pulsing inside her was too much, driving her to orgasm even harder around him.

She panted shakily, not letting him go as her pussy contracted around his length. The aftershocks of her orgasm made her gasp and shiver, unwilling to let him break contact. After a moment, he kissed her forehead and slowly pulled out of her. He sat back for a moment, his eyes shut as he tried to slow his heart rate. Ashley turned onto her side and pulled her legs into her chest, suddenly cold from the loss of contact. She heard him swallow thickly and take a swig of water from the bottle by his bed before pulling the blanket over both of them.

Ashley didn't curl up next to him immediately, unable to read his expression. He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her temple. "Hey... Hey, you okay? You freaking out? Was that okay? Talk to me." He stroked her hair thoughtfully, letting himself bask in the afterglow. She didn't say anything in response. She shifted to wrap her arms around his torso and bury her face in his shoulder. He turned to hug her, pressing more kisses to her forehead. "Hey, hey, hey. You okay?" He tilted her head up to meet his. "If you don't want to do that again, we won't, but you have to talk to me?"

She sniffed and pulled him in to kiss her lightly before inhaling shakily. "I just... I liked it more than I thought I would. And I'm glad I opened myself to you like this." She cuddled into the crook of his neck, feeling his hands stroke over her back absentmindedly. "You were right, Adam Sackler."

He smiled faintly, holding her tighter. "I'm always right, babe." He groaned at the light kick to his shin, but bear hugged her tighter. He watched her slowly drift off in his arms, pressing another kiss to her forehead. Fuck, what did they just do?


End file.
